


In The Dead of Night

by sweetheartshumjr



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Theseus Scamander, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Protective Newt Scamander, Protective Siblings, Protective Theseus Scamander, Sibling Bonding, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 00:07:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16691563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetheartshumjr/pseuds/sweetheartshumjr
Summary: Words are spoken. Decisions are made.





	In The Dead of Night

**Author's Note:**

> Big shout out to my lovely friend and beta [Jess ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonphoenix) for keeping up with me and my tenses <3

There was fire everywhere.

Blue fire burned everything around him and he… he was scared. He tried to shoot Aquamenti out of his wand but the fire wouldn’t die.

Then he heard a scream. A horrible, heart wrenching, scream. He knew in an instant who had emitted the shattering sound and the realisation made his blood run cold.

Without thinking he started to run to the source of the sound, but the fire was raging, blocking his path at every turn. He was trapped, he could see nothing; the smoke was thick, stinging at his eyes and the only sounds that he heard was the cracking of the flames and the undying screaming.

He felt like crying but he had to reach to her. He can’t leave her alone here to die.

But then the voice shouted and he heard it so loud as if she screamed it right into his ear.

“ Why didn’t you save me!? ”

—

Theseus woke up with a jolt, his breathing quick and shallow. His whole body was shaking and he could feel tears making their way down his face.

He covered his face with his hands and tried to calm himself. He tried to focus, but her terrified voice was still ringing in his ears.

‘Why didn’t you save me!?’

Angry, he punched the pillow and sat at the end of bed with his hands clenched in his hair.

Why didn’t he save her?

Why didn’t he stop her?

Why didn’t he think that she’d do such a risky move?

He failed her.

He should’ve known better, he could’ve prevented it!

He could’ve protected her! Why didn’t he save her!?

Theseus’ shoulders shook as he desperately tried to muffle his broken sobs. He didn’t want to wake anyone. Newt was still tried, his American friends lost someone dear to them as well; they needed their rest. He can’t be the one troubling their minds. He’s not worth it.

After a while his sobbing died down, leaving him with a sore, dry throat. Theseus sighed quietly to himself, grabbed his wand, then on unsteady feet, he rose and headed towards the door to get himself a glass of water. He also heavily debated acquiring a Dreamless Sleep Potion.

Quietly he cast Lumos and walked down the stairs, trying to not make any sound. He took an empty glass from the shelf and turned the tap on, letting water fill the glass. He was almost finished when he heard a faint creaking in one of the other cupboards.

Instinctively Theseus tightened his grip on the wand; he refused to go anywhere without it from here on out. He put the glass on the table and walked cautiously towards to the cupboard.

He reached for the handle and quickly opened the cupboard. It was empty. Relief washed over his body and he let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding in. Then he turned around and headed back to bed, only to freeze in horror just moments later.

Theseus screwed his eyes closed, wishing the image before him to disappear by the time he reopened his eyes, but when he opened them again he was met with the same nightmare as before. Newt’s body limp and rigid on the cold floor of the kitchen; eyes wide open, void of their usual twinkle, coat torn into pieces and face blank.

Theseus shouted, and immediately ran towards his brother.

This can’t be happening!

First Leta, now Newt!?

No, this can’t be real!

It simply can’t! Not his little brother!

He felt his breath hitching uncontrollably and after a few seconds he felt like there was no breath filling his lungs at all.His hands were dancing right above Newt’s body, not sure where he should touch first, his vision blurred as the tears ran down his face. Finally, hesitantly he decided to check his pulse and right before he rested his fingers on his brother’s neck he heard a desperate voice.

“ Don’t touch it! ”

Confused Theseus raised his head.

At the entrance of the kitchen there was Newt. Newt. ALIVE.

Alive, with his hair still ruffled from sleep, in his pajamas clearly a little bit confused as to what was happening in front of him, but even still he was prepared to jump in and help. His wand was in his hand and his eyes were fixed on the body laying on the floor.

Dumbfounded, Theseus quickly withdrew his hand, staring at his brother like he’d seen a ghost.

Newt then stepped even further into the kitchen, still eyeing the body on the floor. Then with a twist and a blur Newt’s lifeless body turned into a desk.

“ Riddikulus ” muttered Newt with a slight hint of an anger in his voice and the desk turned into a bird. It was only then when Theseus understood what had just happened.

It was a boggart.

It was only a damn boggart, that seemingly hid in the cupboard. He really let himself be fooled by a freaking boggart!

“ Are you all right? ” he heard Newt asking after a moment of silence. He wanted to nod. Newt was supposed to be in bed, resting and not worrying about him. Merlin’s beard, what kind of an Auror he is if he can’t handle a damn boggart!

But Newt had already seen him crying so playing dumb wouldn’t be fair. Yet… He shouldn’t have seen him in that state in the first place. So instead he chose to avoid the question.

“ Why are you not sleeping? ” he asked, looking anywhere but his brother.

Newt shrugged. “I heard a scream. And I got scared that something may have happened so I grabbed my wand and ran downstairs and… well… ” he paused, looking at the floor, where his body was just mere seconds ago.

Theseus nodded and closed his eyes. He’d scared Newt. Newt shouldn’t feel scared, not when he’s right beside him. Theseus could help but think he’d failed somehow. Merlin’s beard, can’t he do at least one thing right that night? He only hoped that the Americans weren’t woken up too.

As if reading his mind, Newt said, “ No one else is awake right now, don’t worry. ”

Theseus smiled, although it was rather weak.

There was another moment of silence before Newt spoke again, “ So… um… do you… want to talk about it?”.

Immediately the older of the two shook his head. “ No. Not at this hour. It’s late, Newtty, you should be sleeping. ”

“ You too, ‘Seus ” he pointed out.

Theseus sighed and slumped down to sit on the floor, hiding his head between his knees, trying to collect himself. He heard that Newt sat beside him, close, with a little distance between them, which Theseus was grateful for.

After that a silence fell over the two brothers.

Newt keep stealing a worried glance towards his brother. The last thing he expected when running downstairs was to see his own body on the floor and his brother crying over him. It wasn’t fair to Theseus! Hasn’t he been through enough?

Plus Newt didn’t really know why his brother came to the kitchen at the first place. He could only guess that it must’ve been that he had some kind of a nightmare. It was the only logical explanation, because at any other day Theseus would simply wave his wand and the boggart would be defeated in matter of seconds.

Newt fixed his eyes on the floor. The dream must’ve been about Leta then. So that makes it harder to cheer up his brother. Newt never was good with the words, especially when it came to comforting another human being. But his brother looked so broken…

“ You… You know that I won’t end this way, right? ” he said, not daring to looking at his brother.

“ I know ” Theseus whispered. Then he paused and looked at Newt, searching his brother’s face before carrying on, “I won’t let it happen.”

Newt let the words settle heavily in the air before replying. He mumbled slightly to himself, lowered his gaze and picked at his pajamas, “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you either.”

Theseus hesitated a little, before continuing. “If… If there ever came a time that you’d end up- end up like that boggart, I’d do anything-”

“ Don’t ” pleaded Newt, already knowing where his brother was heading. He didn’t want to even think about it, let alone hear it. But Theseus finished.

“ Then I promise you, that I’d give myself in exchange for you. Hell I’d give myself to Grindelwald if it meant stopping him and saving you.” ” He finished, smiling sadly at Newt’s glassy, tear filled eyes.

“ 'Seus… Stop. Please stop ” Newt whispered, shaking his head. He quickly grabbed Theseus, hugging him. “Leta sacrificed herself to save the both of us, don’t do the same, she would have wanted both of us to live.”

“ She sacrificed herself for you, Newt ” said Theseus, lightly stroking his shaken brother’s hair. “ And partially because of her, I’m willing to do the same. You’re important, little brother. Much more than me. ”

“ Don’t say that ” said Newt with a broken voice. “ 'Seus, please. You’re important. To me. Don’t my feelings count as well? ” he asked, trying to stop his tears from falling but he couldn’t. The image of his brother dying… No. It was unbearable. This can’t happen.

“ They do count, Newtty ” he heard his brother whisper. “ But you’ll get over it. ”

“ You don’t know that ” he whispered, very uncharacteristically trying to hug to Theseus even more. He felt his brother smile. Again. It was starting to get awful.

“ I do ” he simply said and then suddenly he stood up, taking Newt with him. “ Now little brother it’s really time to go to sleep ”.

Newt looked at him stunned. How can he expect him to go to sleep right now, after saying things like this!? No! They need to talk, he needs to knock this crazy idea out of his head!

But he doesn’t know how. Maybe… Maybe Tina would know. She’s better at people than he is. Yes. Tina would know. He’ll ask her in the morning.

So despite himself he nodded his head, but deep down he knew, he promised himself, he would never let Theseus sacrifice himself too.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @sweetheartshumjr (you can yell at me in the asks)


End file.
